Nothing beats being a master of your craft. You need to invest endless time, effort, money and any other necessary resources, to become as proficient as possible at it, so that ANYTIME those you serve demand for your problem solving attention, you will not be found wanting.
It is with regard to my Excel VB Solutions Development that I have narrated the true story featured below, in this week’s issue of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter.
NB: This PI Squared newsletter will be published weekly, on Mondays, in place of the Speaking/Web Marketing IDEAS newsletter, starting from today – 15th February 2016. I’m reinventing my Monday newsletter content and theme, to accommodate my vision of serving the growing audience of serious minded individuals and organizations reaching out to me, with information, education. news and research findings designed to help them do what they do better.
************
PII 055: To Succeed Even When Things Go Wrong, You Need Mastery of Your Craft – Part 1 of 2 | Based on a True Story
Nothing beats being a master of your craft. You need to invest endless time, effort, money and any other necessary resources, to become as proficient as possible at it, so that ANYTIME those you serve demand for your problem solving attention, you will not be found wanting.
It is with regard to my Excel VB Solutions Development that I have narrated the true story featured below, in this week’s issue of my Performance Improvement Ideas newsletter.
I’d made him an offer then which he’d not taken up. Then he’d returned last Tuesday, on 20th February 2017 – calling in at about 8a.m in the morning. About 24 hours later, he’d made payment to take up a new offer I made to him.
In my usual manner, I proceeded to use details he supplied to me about himself and his farm business, to personalize the PFM and accompanying products, which I emailed to him.
I could however never have predicted what happened over the next four days.
The drama began with Tom writing in to say he’d been unable to launch the spreadsheet app, because each time he tried to do so, it returned a “Compile error”.
Past experience with other users who’d initially struggled, made me ask if he was using a computer running a Mac OS. He sent me – in response to my request – screenshots of his PC’s specs as well as that of the error message returned by the app. I noted he was using a 64 bit HP ProBook – so the Mac issue was ruled out.
Long story short, my mind went to the possibility of a 32-bit vs 64-bit conflict. But I had problems accepting that possibility because not only had I successfully run the app on 64 bit computers myself, but I had also seen others do the same – including the manager of a neighborhood café I use.
So, I had a dilemma. In the past, I’d had to follow tips provided on the Microsoft website to adviSe a client in 2014, to step down his Excel version from 64 bit to 32 bit via custom install from the disk.
He’d reported getting a different error message – shown below – from that seen by Thompson:
“Microsoft Forms… Could not load an object because it is not available on this machine”
The problem I had in Tom’s case was however that all he got was a “Compile error” message, so I could not make much of it. I needed more information, and I knew the best/quickest way would likely be to interact directly with the computer on which this was happening.
At a point, Tom wrote an email saying he believed my app did not work – and he challenged me to prove that it did by getting it to work on HIS own laptop!
I replied that I had told him there were other clients who used the app. I told him my suspicion was that his was a unique/peculiar problem that was NOT general to others.
After some heated debates on phone and email, I decided to invite him to meet with me, so I could address the problem he was having. Luckily, this was made easy by the fact that he lived in Lagos, and I was also in town.
By the time we met at Omole Estate Phase 2, I promptly removed the password protection from the Visual Basic Editor. Then I ran the Workbook Open procedure again, with the password removed.
This resulted in more descriptive information being added to the error message that appeared.
Compile error:
The code in this project must be updated for use on 64-bit systems.
Please review and update Declare statements and then mark them with the PtrSafe attribute.
Once I saw that, I immediately knew what the problem was, and what I needed to do. It was the modules in which I’d used Windows API calls that contained the lines of code throwing the error.
I promptly made modifications to the code modules in a way that enabled the app launch fully to the login screen – and beyond. When this happened, Tom’s face lit up. It was the first time since he purchased the app, that he was seeing it working like I’d demonstrated it in the video he’d watched, in deciding to buy it.
While I worked, I deliberately engaged him in conversation and learned from Tom that he worked as a Network Administrator on a 9 to 5 job, and that his laptop was always plugged into the corporate network where daily automatic updates happened to the laptop’s Windows and Office installations.
On hearing that, I told him that updates downloaded to a computer on a corporate network would be designed to minimize chances of unauthorized application being run without restrictions on it.
An Excel-VB app like mine, meant for private use by the owner, when run on that kind of laptop would likely encounter restrictions I may not have provided for.
When I made this point, Tom nodded in agreement, and went on to add that he estimated there was a 1 in 50 chance that I would encounter a user with his kind of situation – to which I exclaimed saying; “Now, you see what I meant when I said yours was a peculiar situation!”
We went on to spend over 2 hours looking through the various data entry and reporting interfaces in the app, as I gave him practical tips on how to use it.
At the same time, I also shared real life examples of how to make use of the app to monitor and manage farm operations to ensure timely decision making for optimal performance.
We ended by agreeing to work via email, as I proceed to make the remaining needed changes in the code module declarations by adding the PtrSafe attribute highlighted in the error message.
For now, he’s able to commence posting of farm data from paper records prepared by his farm hands.
By the time we parted, we’d shared a lot of banter, and he even arranged for me to converse, in French, with his wife, who works as a French Language Instructor with a Lagos based institution.
Before he drove off, I got him to take a photo with me and also recorded a testimonial video of him sharing his feelings and observations about what had been done, and the experience he’d had using the app, in the few hours he’d begin using it.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it was my confidence in my Excel-VB coding ability that made me invite Tom to come down with his laptop, so I could fix the problem once and for all.
Indeed, I actually made upfront payment to his bank account to cover to/fro fueling of his car for that purpose. That was how determined I was to solve the problem – and prove that my app worked!
Over the years, I’ve had Farm C.E.Os. from within and outside Africa, by from me – but majority of my buyers continue to come from within Africa, and especially Nigeria, my home country.
The point to note however is that I CULTIVATE and ENJOY healthy relationships with my buyers long AFTER they buy from me.
Some buyers initially need my help to identify why they had issues, but I have NEVER needed to change my code to get it to work!
This experience with Tom, is one that has enabled me demonstrate in a new way, that I deliver on my promises and practice what I preach.
THAT is what I do: I SOLVE problems for those who connect with me, using the solutions I develop. And if a buyer encounters difficulties in trying to make use of my solutions, I ALWAYS adopt a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE to SOLVE whatever challenge s/he may be faced with.
The above is what I successfully DID today, with the Lagos based Farm CEO shown with me in this above shown photo taken just before we parted AFTER our meeting.
If you make mastering your craft a deeply ingrained habit, like I do, you WILL also be able to succeed in spite of setbacks or problems you encounter in your practice of it!
1. Click here to learn more about this app – watch demo videos etc
2.Click here to watch a 4 part video in which I demonstrate how to use this app to formulate rations using real life data sent to me by an Algerian PhD student.
Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.
Click here to download a detailed PDF user guide and watch 15 screen shot user guide tutorials of the Monthly Poultry Farm Manager that I now offer Farm CEOs.
Click here to contact me about purchasing this product.
Specialist and Multipreneur (i.e. a highly versatile/multi-skilled entrepreneur), with a bias for delivering Best Practice solutions to Farm Businesses and others.
Since 2002, he has earned multiple streams of income providing individuals and organizations with personal development training and coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems/web hosting, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).
He has delivered talks/papers to audiences in various groups and organizations, including the Centre for Management Development, University of Lagos, Christ Baptist Church, Volunteer Corps, Tantalisers Fast Foods and others.
In May 2012 he was the Guest Speaker at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development’s Annual Semester Entrepreneurial Lecture at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.
On 1st April 2013, Tayo (who reads, write and speaks the French language) relocated to Cotonou, Benin Republic to begin slowly traveling across the West African region.
His key purpose is to deliver talks, seminars and workshops on his key areas of focus and interest to interested audiences (Email tayo at tksola dot com for details).
In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years (October 1994 to December 2001) as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer to Training & Technical Development Manager, and later acted in senior roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager.
In addition to constantly challenging the status quo and influencing positive work changes, he built a reputation for using self-taught spreadsheet programming skills (starting with Lotus 1-2-3, and later moving to Excel Visual Basic) – in his spare time – to develop Automated Spreadsheet Applications to computerize manual report generation processes in the departments he worked. Over four(4) of his applications were adopted for brewery level reporting.
Tayo holds a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Extension Services from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, having graduated top of his class – with Second Class Upper Division honors – in 1992. He is an Associate Member of the UK Institute & Guild of Brewing, a 1997 National Finalist of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s(NIM) Young Managers’ competition, a Certified Psychometric Test Administrator for Psytech UK, innovator of Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development™ (SCfS-D™), and Founder of the Self-Development Academy (SDAc).
When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Daily Self-Development Nuggets blog – on which he also publishes The Farm CEO Weekly Newspaper (sent via email to paid subscribers) and his Weekly Performance Improvement IDEAS newsletter.
Visit Tayo Solagbade Dot Com, to download over over 10 performance improvement resources to boost your personal and work related productivity.
====
[IMPORTANT NOTE:====
On 4th May 2014, Tayo’s 9 year old domain (Spontaneousdevelopment dot com), which hosted his website, was taken over by Aplus.net.
Within a few days however, Tayo used his advanced self-taught web development skills to build a SUPERIOR “reincarnation” of it the website http://www.tayosolagbade.com.
But updates are still ongoing to URLs bearing the old domain name in most of the over 1,000 web pages, and blog posts he’s published.
If you experience any difficulties finding a page or document, email Tayo at tksola dot com.
This week’s tutorial features an anatomy of the Excel-VB code and Graphic User Interface Active-X controls you can use to create professional looking Splash Screens for your custom Excel-VB apps.
As you develop increased proficiency in building custom apps for various uses, especially if you dream of launching your own range of commercial quality spreadsheet software, knowing how to add a Splash Screen to your app would go a long way to help your better impress your buyers/users.
Splash Screens provide users an interface to notify the user that the app is loading. They typically contain “an image, a logo and the current version of the software.” – and are generally visually appealing.
As soon as I learned that I could use Excel-VB code and forms/controls in the Visual Basic Editor, to create Splash Screens, I knew I would be using them for my apps.
Below are screenshots with short notes/tips about how the Splash Screen for my Excel-VB driven Poultry Farm Manager was built.
1. Double-clicking the workbook application’s file launches this Enable-Disable Macros dialog box.
The user will click “Enable Macros” for the app to continue loading. Otherwise, the code in the app will be auto-disabled, and the app will remain in the small window shown
2. This is the Splash Screen – It appears (called by a line of code in the Workbook_Open procedure for the Workbook) after the “Enable Macros” button is clicked.
As can be seen from the code in the VBA interface of the form used to build the Splash Screen, it is set to stay visible for about 5 seconds, after which it “disappears”…
3. This is the login screen for the app – it is loaded AFTER the Splash Screen is “killed” or “unloaded from memory”
4. This is the Excel-VB code used to call the Splash Screen – in the “Private Sub Workbook_Open subroutine
This is the code that runs when the workbook is loaded into MS Excel, after the “Enable Macros” button is clicked. Notice the 4th line of black text below the “On Error Resume Next” entry i.e the text “ShowSplash”.
That is the name of the Excel-VB code procedure containing the instructions for loading the Splash Screen that appears after the “Enable Macros” button is clicked.
5. This is a dialog box showing how the “ShowSplash” macro procedure is located by typing its name, so it can be opened for modification by clicking the “Edit” button.
6. This is the Splash Screen “design” view in the Visual Basic Editor interface – In the video for Part 2 of 2, that goes LIVE next week, I will show step-by-step how to build this on a blank form control.
Creating a Splash Screen does not require elaborate coding – or design…
The Graphic User Interface created using the form control does NOT need to be as complex as the one I created for my app.
You can simply add a few descriptive labels, for your purposes.
I have used the screenshot images shown above, to explain the thinking behind the creation of this Splash Screen, to give you insights into how you can go about creating such for your apps.
Next week I will create a step-by-step video demonstration showing how I built this app’s Splashcreen
NB: If you’re not a member of my Excel Heaven Visual Basic Automation Club, click here to request a copy of the video.
For society to develop fully, it MUST encourage members to write – and read – as frequently as possible(especially non-fiction).You can influence society’s progressive evolution, by acquiring qualitative experiences in pursuit of challenging goals, and sharing what you learn with others.
This article explains (in part) why I have written so dedicatedly, since 2002. And it highlights multiple reasons for you to do the same.
Writing is a powerful way to communicate useful knowledge,e acquired through years of experience and sometimes painful effort, by the writer, to others.
Recent feedback from a long time subscriber to my email newsletter.
Many ideas that are used to influence happenings in society are often communicated in written form for others to read and reflect upon. Religious and political organizations send out written material “preaching” the ideals they want their followers to imbibe in order to actualize a vision of the future.
In this article I explain why each one of us needs to look deep within him/herself and discover the unique area of experience based knowledge s/he has, to offer others who lack it, which s/he can then start sharing TODAY by writing.
You may not believe it, but there is something you know, which some others NEED and would therefore be glad to read/learn about. But that’s if you would only write about it!
What would this world have been like if Hill had not written his book: “Think And Grow Rich”?
Think back to all the successful people you know who have mentioned that reading THAT book transformed their lives.
Imagine if they had never read the book, because Hill never wrote it. The implications would have been multiple fold.
Let’s consider a few examples
Maybe today, Dr. Walter Doyles Staples works would not have become a source of education and inspiration for thousands of people worldwide.
Robert Kiyosaki would probably NOT be the person we know today. A man whose message about proper education of children, and the need for a reform of our traditional educational system, opened the eyes of many parents to what they can do to help their kids succeed in life.
These powerful influencers noted that they read, and were influenced by Think and Grow Rich, while starting out!
That book helped them make the most of their own experiences, so that they were able to achieve their own purpose in life.
Coming closer home…
Without Wole Soyinka’a writing, I am almost convinced that I would not know as much as I do about aspects of Nigeria’s history. Especially events that occurred around the early years of Nigeria’s independence – including the civil war – that most of my peers seem disconnected from. Same applies to Chinua Achebe’s writing.
Many others exist on this part of the divide. And they have all enriched the lives of millions by choosing to write based on their experiences.
My point is that when people who undergo useful/authentic experiences (or who make contact with those who do so), write in order to share their acquired knowledge with others, significant positive social development can quite often take place as a result.
This will happen especially if those who read the written works, actually take action to diligently apply the knowledge they acquire from doing so in their personal lives.
You Too, Can Change Lives Through Your Writing…!
Recent feedback from an old school mate, who is a Facebook friend, but is NOT a subscriber to my newsletter. Instead, he has been exposed to the RSS feed driven updates of my blog posts to my Facebook wall.
By writing, we give others the opportunity to embark, more intelligently, and therefore with greater chances of success, on doing something we(or persons we closely studied) have also done in the past and/or are still doing. Anyone who has applied honest and diligent effort to a particular cause, can write competently about what s/he has done in a way that can benefit others who wish to pursue a similar goal.
While we are on the subject, here’s something noteworthy…
Millions of parents worldwide have bought books by Robert Kiyosaki, and followed his advice about how to educate kids/prepare them to achieve financial independence.
And they continue to do this even though Robert clearly stated in the books that he and his wife(Kim) had no kids of their own!
To me, the ONLY logical explanation for what should have been an unreasonable action on the part of the parents is this…
They (wisely) chose to look beyond Robert NOT being a parent, to the intuitive and common sense logic of the ideas he presented, which resonated with those they had themselves battled with, during their own childhoods.
That’s why when you read some of the re-printed testimonials in Robert’s bestseller titled “If you want to be rich and happy, don’t go to school?”, you will notice many of those people quoted said things like “That’s what I think”; “puts into words what I have been thinking for a long time” etc.
I wonder if they would have ever done anything about what they were “thinking”, IF someone like Robert had not written it all in a book by himself?
Again, back to the questions with which I started this article: What if Robert had never chosen to write any of his books?
One thing at least is certain: our thinking about how children should be educated and prepared to pursue success in life as independent adults, would be worse off than it is now.
That is the value that Robert’s writing has added to millions of lives the world over – mine inclusive(the distance between our continents of residence notwithstanding).
Many People Who Should Write Are NOT Writing
In many societies, people undergo unique experiences of all kinds, every day, that those around them may never have the opportunity of going through.
For each person, the learning acquired through those experiences literally shapes who they become over time. And that ultimately determines whether or not – or better still how well – they succeed.
We can each draw upon the knowledge and insight acquired through such experiences, to teach others how to deal with them successfully, should they encounter something similar.
What I have just stated is the reason why I am convinced we can never have too many public speakers in the world.
It is not possible to have too many pastors, or preachers or trainers in the world either.
I speak with regard to the possibility of a situation arising where you end up with many individuals, who do the same thing in exactly the same way EVERY time, so that if you have seen one, you would have seen all the others.
No two public speakers can have exactly the same audience appeal, and effect on people when they speak.
Think about it. If you heard that Zig Ziglar (when he was still alive) was going to speak at an event, your expectation would be different from what you would have, when another speaker’s name is mentioned.
Each one of us has a distinguishing trait or quality that sets him apart from others who do what s/he does.
Another analogy: Not matter how many stand up comedians perform on one show, each ONE of them will always have at least ONE joke that is different from those told by his/her counterparts.
And s/he will also have a peculiar “style of delivery” that is unique to him/her – except of course s/he unwisely chooses to mimic a role model, mentor etc.
If all of the above is true, it then logically follows, that if an individual were to write based on his/her area of competence or experience, there is a possibility that a person looking for such information will find it a useful, if not entertaining, read.
It might help to inform (or remind) you, that even Napoleon Hill was initially plagued with self-doubt, when Andrew Carnegie first asked him to write the book(Think And Grow Rich).
Hill worried among other things that he was not “qualified” or “competent” enough – at the time – to write it.
But thankfully, he eventually brushed those fears aside, and did us all a favour by working hard to write the book that today has changed millions of lives for the better.
No One Needs A Teaching Certificate Or University Degree To Share His/Her Experience-Based Knowledge With Others Who Need It
Consider a person who – through great will power and endurance – survived years of isolation as a prisoner of war. And there have been people like that.
I doubt such a person would ever be required to get a writing degree, or teaching certificate, before s/he could write or speak to audiences about:
(a) what it felt like and
(b) how to survive under such situations
At the least, if you feel you cannot write it yourself, get help to do it!
For instance, engage the services of a freelance professional, who will work with you to produce a worthwhile summary of your experiences in your chosen area of interest or competence.
Having said that, however, I believe that developing your writing skills would not be a bad idea.
That’s because it would enable you do more spontaneous writing, than you could if you needed someone to take notes from you.
The second and concluding part of this post will be published tomorrow.
NB: This article is based on excerpts from a writeup first published online on 18th August 2006 on www.spontaneousdevelopment.com
…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home1/tayoswdg/public_html/sdnuggets/wp-includes/class-wp-comment-query.php on line 399
